Improvement in steam track-clearers



A. KINDERMANN L o. RBIBLBN.

Steam Track-Clearer".

No. 216,418. Patented June 10, 1879.

n4 PUERS. PHOTO LITNOGRAPHE `steam, as desired.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

AUGUST KINDERMANN AND CHARLES REIBLEIN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM TRACK-CLEARERS.

Speciication forming part of` Letters Patent No. 216,418, dated J unc 10, 1879 application filed April i7, 1879.

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam Track-Clearers, and we do hereby declare th at the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

The object of our invention is to improve the construction of steam track-clearers, so that the snow, ice, Ste., is cleared oil the top of the rails as well as on the inner sides of the rails.

The invention consists in the combination, with the cow-catcher of the locomotive, of sets of pipes, one set of which extends down to the rails immediately in front of the first pair of the truck or front wheels of the locomotive, and the second set to the front of the second pair of the truck-wheels. The lower ends of the pipes are bent outward and sidewise in such manner as t0 strike the rails at an angle of about forty to forty-five degrees, and so as to allow part of the steam to come on the top or face of the rails, while part passes against the inner sides thereof, so as to not only clean the face, but the inner sides, which is a very important feature, as the packed snow or ice accumulated on the sides often causes the locomotive to jump the track and `cause serious accidents. rlhe mouths of the pipes are provided with self-closing valves, so as to close when the steam is .not used. Suitable cocks are arranged in the pipes, with rods leading to the engineers cab by which to manipulate the rI he front pipes may also be arranged to connect with a superheatingcoil in the smoke-arch, so as toahighly heat the steam, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter, reference being had to,the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a locomotive with the pipes, &c., attached. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the mouth of one of the pipes, showing the valve. Fig. 4. is a modification of the same.

In the drawings, A represents a locomotive having the usualcow-catcher, A', truck-wheels C and C, and drivers D. To the front end of the boiler A are attached the pipes E, communicating with the steam-space thereof, and extending nearly down t0 the rails in front of the first pair of truck-wheels C. Suitable cocks e are arranged in the pipes, and are manipulated by rods c', extending to the en gineers cab. These pipes may be connected with a coil, G, inthe smoke-arch, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, if desired, to superheat the steam.

rlhe second set of pipes, F, are arranged toA extend infront of the second pair of truckwheels C, and are also provided with cocks f and rods j". If desired, a branch pipe may be attached to the pipes F, to connect with the hot water as well as the steam, so as to use both hot water and steam. The lower ends of all the pipes are bent in such manner as to strike the rails at an angle of about forty or forty-ti ve degrees, so that part of the steam shall pass on the upper face ofthe rails, while the other part strikes the rails on the inner sides, so as to clear them from packed snow or ice, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 3.

The mouths of the pipes are provided with self-closing or weighted valves g, so that the pipes are closed when the locomotive is not running, or it is not necessary to use the steam. These valves must'be light enough to easily open when the steam is let on.

Instead of hinged valves, as shown in the drawings, valves may be employed which are seated by springs or weights of any description, or a cap with perforations or made of wiregauze might be employed with ad vantage.

The great advantages in arranging the pipes as shown in our steam track-clearer are that the ice and packed snow are cleaned from the inner sides ofthe rails, which have heretofore never been reached by steam, but only by Scrapers, which have done this very imperfectly and are liable to get broken; and as the flanges of the wheels are often raised by the ice and snow collected on the inner sides of the rails, the locomotive and cars have been thrown from the track. By providing the mouths of the pipcswith 4self-closing valves, no snow or ice can enter and stop them up while running. The device can be easily applied to any locomotive and at a very small cost. The main body of the snow is thrown aside by the cow-catcher, and the remainder is then cleared off' by the steam from the pipes.

We are aware that steam-pipes have been arranged on locomotives to clear the face of the rails of snow, ice, grease, 85e., and also that a series of pipes extending perpendieularly between the tracks have been used, and therefore do not broadly claim such; but,

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a steam track-clearer, the pipes E and F, curved as described, and provided with self-closing valves at their mouths, as shown, and for the purpose described.V 'Y

2. In a steam track-clearer, the pipes E and F, curved as described, provided with self closing valves g, cocks e f, and operating-rods e f', all arranged as shown, and for the pur-- 

